David Biernbaum

DAVID BIERNBAUM is a consultant, master broker, national retail sales and business development professional, and marketing expert for consumer goods in the mass markets.

David Biernbaum…

Since 1977, is a consumer packaged goods professional in the field of marketing, retail sales, broker management, and business development.

Has a far-reaching background and resilient career building equity for major consumer packaged goods (CPG) companies…

…And also several start up’s and young companies, with national brands, niche brands, licensed, private label, and all types of specialty brands in HBC, OTC, GM, Oral Care, Non-Foods, and consumer electronics.

At (GSK) Beecham; led initial launch of Aquafresh toothpaste, a major global brand.

National leadership and new licensing agreements elevated Zooth Inc. to its market dominance leading to it’s acquisition by the Gillette Co. and then Procter and Gamble.

As Senior VP, led Vi-Jon Laboratories to become a major force in HBC private label leading to its highly profitable merger and industry dominance the company still builds on even today.

At The Gillette Company’s Oral B Laboratories; led sales forces through high-impact maneuvers often shattering record sales and breaking competition.

For major national companies such as Abbott Laboratories and Beecham Products; led regional launches for brand names such as Selsun Blue, Murine, Faultless, Tronolane, Cling Free Sheets, Calgon, Massengill, and Fruit Fresh.

As a transition consultant for a new owner at Medallion Foods; took over as interim president then re-staffed the company with great results and lasting success.

Launched several oral care products in the mass markets to raise funds for The Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer Research organization.

David Biernbaum has written hundreds of columns for trade magazines such as MMR, Chain Drug Review, and PL Buyer, and currently David is a “BrainTrust” panel member at Retailwire.com, the very popular blog read every day by hundreds of retail executives.

Working directly with retail executives on numerous industry committees, David is also an instructor at colleges and he is a frequent speaker for industry seminars and panels.

Recently, David founded and developed the CPG Retail Professionals social networking group on LinkedIn. Services Performed:

Sears lost its brand and store identity on the day Eddie Lampert stepped in. Kmart lost its brand and store identity the day that Walmart decided not to be just rural, anymore. Both retail chains did little more than to “exist” during the entire Lampert era.
Both chains became “all things to no people.” Sears lost all its former strengths, including its exclusive brands, primary services, in-store atmosphere, and failed miserably to convert the best and most established catalog in the world, to an effective e-commerce operation.
Kmart was treading water for many years while repeatedly drifting back and forth from one poorly executed strategy to another. What Kmart became best known for were empty parking lots, empty shelves, and a burned-out blue light. Oh wait, Eddie Lampert even tried turning the blue light back on for a month or two.
It’s all very sad for those of us old enough to remember when both Sears and Kmart ruled the world. Hmm, maybe Kmart should have skipped the rebirth of the blue light and reverted to being Kresge variety. The luncheonette counter would be a big hit with the Millennial generation. Nah.

The "tariffs" situation will work itself to resolution, or at least an end, in the near future. The more important longer-term (effect) stories will be more retail acquisitions by Amazon, an increase in same-day delivery services offered by traditional retailers and third-party services, and additional apples-oranges mergers and partnerships between retailers in different channels.

For certain, every human who wants to work has plenty of opportunities, and no excuses anymore for self-inflicted unemployment. There is a shortage of "workers" throughout the U.S. which means there will be indeed, competition for available human resources. Retailers will do whatever they "need" to do to be open and operate profitably now, through the holiday season. If certain retailers need to raise wages, or provide other advantages or benefits, temporarily or otherwise, I think they will do so.

It’s not surprising that many consumers still prefer to go to the grocery store and make personal selections, especially for fruit, meats, and fresh foods. Many other grocery store items, too, are personal, with shoppers having special preferences. It’s one thing to have canned foods or laundry detergents delivered, but it’s quite another to choose bakery items, or how firm you like your cantaloupes to be. Grocery stores will probably never be replaced by Amazon or delivery services.

Starbucks has a long illustrious history of leading, not following and innovating, not imitating. Bakkt will be launched without many of the bumps on the Bitcoin highway. Ultimately, whichever direction Starbucks goes will become the "next generation" of Bitcoin for others to follow.

Target began making the same “request” one year ago. Here is the issue: once the supplier caves-in to Target, or Kroger, then it’s only a matter of time until the manufacturer will be under pressure to do the same for most other accounts, and eventually, your business model will need to adjust to 90 days for almost every retailer nationwide. That’s not a good situation.
I am advising my clients to hang tough. I am requesting a face to face meeting with the powers-to-be, so that I can explain why this does not work for the client’s business-model, and the impact it will have on the brand’s ability to advertise, and to support the retailer’s promotions. In any case, without a personal face to face meeting with the true decision-makers, we will hang tough.

In my field, the consumer goods and retail industry, where I work directly with quite literally thousands of women and men and having met with and spoken to so many women on these topics, I dare say that our space might be ahead of most industries.
Since approximately 1977, I have had the opportunity in the CPG Retail Industry to work for, with, hire, or deploy, a rapidly increasing number of women at all levels, in nearly every capacity, and in companies I have worked for, with, or have been associated with, women are paid comparable salaries to men with similar responsibilities. The exception that I have observed over the years are in family-owned and operated businesses, where structures are off the charts.
I do not presume to deny that inequality and harassment exist, because both issues do, in large numbers, including in the CPG retail business. However, I don’t believe that the root of the problems will be resolved by government intervention, intimidation of males, or by forcing males to behave in non-masculine ways that are unnatural. We can all be equals and work together quite effectively, while still recognizing and accepting that there are certain gender-differences; i.e., Venus and Mars. It just happens to be true.
I think the better approach is teaching both males and females how to work and interact together, with one being as important as the other. This will be achieved much better with company communication between co-workers, rather than with “movements,” or lawsuits, or a new “McCarthyism,” or other synthetic solutions.
Based on my own experience, communications, and relationships, I have every reason to be optimistic that we have come a very long way, and will keep improving, and I think the consumer goods and retail industry is the near-perfect environment to set the right example.

One of the primary reasons for Walmart's long-term survival, market leadership and success, and the reason it will continue for years, maybe decades to come, is that unlike Kmart, Sears, J.C. Penney, Toys "R" Us, etc., Walmart makes all the right pivots and adjustments to changing times and consumer purchasing cycles and trends.

No, Amazon lockers are not turning Whole Foods into a "quick shop" destination, or anything else other than a more convenient retail chain to do business with. Shoppers will continue to walk through the stores when they have time and fill up their shopping carts with unplanned purchases and, in fact, they will also do so online, perhaps even more-so. Keep in mind that Amazon has elite expertise with increasing the size and variety of purchase, online.

Suppliers have concerns about the impact this has on business and payments from C&S Wholesale Grocers and also Cardinal Health. I think these companies will need to address these concerns with their valued suppliers and vendors as soon as they are able.

Common sense teaches us to treat employees the same as customers are treated, however in many retail businesses, customers are not treated all too well. I think there is a direct and indirect correlation. If the retailer has a culture where the customer is treated like royalty, then customers will behave nicer to employees, and employees will enjoy working in the store.

From the supply side of the equation, I'm hoping that Amazon will create a buying atmosphere more user-friendly to consumer brands so that Whole Foods will look at new items, and new innovations, on a chain-headquarters basis. I think that Whole Foods misses out on many new opportunities due to the current store-by-store buying mentality.

Young consumers do concern themselves with price, however they are not comparing prices between e-commerce and brick-and-mortar but more so, they are comparing prices e-commerce vs. e-commerce, or even Amazon third party vs. Amazon third party Prime vs. Amazon Prime.
Young consumers are not using e-commerce so much as a convenience, but more so because they are living in a different cultural mindset, where they prefer not subjecting themselves to a physically social environment to do their shopping. They are inclined to shop online where they can read reviews, compare and make decisions without subjecting themselves to sales people or verbal, eyeball-to-eyeball human contact.

I’m not convinced that a few lower price points at Walmart will have a major impact on Kroger and other supermarket chains. Two reasons:

Comparing prices between Walmart and Kroger becomes convoluted because Walmart operates with a strict EDLP operation, but Kroger and most other supermarket chains actively promote with temporary price reductions and other price events, which means price points are not necessarily as consistent.

Walmart’s price cuts are only as deep as cost reductions granted from manufacturers and vendors. Many suppliers to Walmart were unable to reduce cost to Walmart because supplier margins were very thin to begin with, and the cost of doing business has not decreased.

I strongly believe that consumers will stay fairly loyal to current favorite retailers and that there are a number of variables other than a few pennies that drive their decisions.